The ExLover in the Diner
by hilarycantdraw
Summary: A quick one shot. Brennan runs into an old flame of hers in the diner, and he is very surprised to see what she's been up to and how Booth's involved. Pure fluff.
1. Chapter 1

**Second one shot in one day! This was another scene that was stuck in my head, just dying to be written. It was inspired by the song "Your Ex-Lover is Dead" by Stars, which is about running into an ex and having them be a completely different person. It's quick and fluffy, and I hope you enjoy it!**

"Tempe," a voice called.

Temperance Brennan glanced up from the journal she was reading and a surprised look crossed her face as she saw who was calling her name, "Sully?"

"The one and only," he said with a wide grin. He moved to hug her and she let him, "Do you mind if I sit?"

"Go ahead, I'm just waiting for Booth to arrive. He should be here in a few minutes. What are you doing back in DC?" She asked as she put her journal back in her purse.

He shrugged, "I just got tired of chasing rainbows, you know?" When she simply gave him a confused stare he smiled, "I wanted more stability in my life. I'm getting too old to be constantly following my every whim. I'm thinking of rejoining the Bureau."

"Good for you, I'm sure that they'll be happy to take you back," she said sincerely.

"I hope so. So you and Booth are still working together?" He decided that it would be a bad idea to flat out tell her that he regretted ending their relationship, he'd poke around first before baring his heart.

"Yes we are, and we still have the highest solve rate," she answered proudly. "How was sailing around the world?"

"Liberating, it was wonderful having no set schedule, just docking wherever I wanted to for as long as I wanted. I saw some really beautiful places. Some of those islands are like their own world. They move at their own pace and there's no stress. I seriously considered not coming back." He said with a wistful smile.

"Then why did you?" She replied in her typical blunt manner.

"I came back because I'm getting to a point in my life where I'd like to settle down. My parents are getting older, so it'll be nice to be near them. It'd also be nice to maybe find someone, you know? Settle down and start a family."

She nodded, "That's perfectly understandable."

"It is?" He asked, confused by her response.

"Yes," she answered, equally confused.

"No 'anthropologically speaking' explanation?"

Her brow furrowed, "I suppose I could explain it if you want me to. I chose my response based on empathy rather than science." She explained.

"You did?"

"Yes, I don't understand why you're so surprised by that." Where on earth was Booth? She really hated small talk.

"It's just that you were always so literal when we used to talk," he explained.

"Oh," she said, finally understanding. "I've changed a lot since then."

"Apparently," he agreed. "You never would have understood the desire to start a family back then."

"Probably not," she smiled.

He was about to ask her why, when suddenly her face brightened and she waved towards the door behind him. As soon as he turned to look, he found the answer to his unasked question. Seeley Booth was walking in the door carrying a baby and a diaper bag with him. He immediately walked straight towards Brennan.

"Hey Bones," he said, giving her a quick kiss and handing her the baby, who gazed at Brennan with wide shining blue eyes and a big toothless smile.

"A certain little missy was not very happy that we were stuck in traffic." Booth said as he dragged a highchair towards the table.

"That's because she inherited your ridiculous Booth appetite," Brennan commented warmly, as she placed a tender kiss on her daughter's dark hair. "Her mood is completely dictated by her hunger." She smiled at Booth, who placed the highchair next to her.

"Yeah, yeah," he smiled as he turned to sit. "Sully," he said, noting his presence for the first time. "When did you get back into town?" He asked, shaking the other man's hand.

"I just got back today actually," Sully replied as he slid over one seat to allow Booth to sit across from Brennan, who had fished some pureed squash out of the diaper bag and was feeding a happy looking baby. "I came in here to grab some dinner and I happened to run into Tempe. So I guess a lot has changed between the two of you, huh?"

"Yes," Brennan answered. "As you can see we have Allie now. She's going to be nine months in a few days."

At that moment their regular waitress came over, "Evening, Dr. Brennan, Agent Booth. How's little miss Allie today?" She asked, waving towards the baby, who beamed at her.

"She's much better now that she's being fed," Booth responded with a laugh.

"And who's your friend?" She asked.

"Tim Sullivan," Sully said, shaking her hand. "I used to work at the FBI with Agent Booth."

"What will you all be having tonight?" Once they had all ordered their conversation continued.

"So how has everyone at the lab been doing?" Sully asked.

"Everyone's been doing very well," Brennan answered simply.

Booth continued for her, "Hodgins and Angela are married now, and they had their first son last year. I'm pretty sure that as soon as Ange found out we were having a girl she started hearing wedding bells." Booth rolled his eyes while Brennan laughed, "Cam has a serious boyfriend now and she adopted a teenage daughter a few years back. Zach, well we don't like to talk about that," Booth said quickly as an unmistakable look of sadness crossed Brennan's face. "And then there's us. We're still working together, though we've been doing less fieldwork since Allie, and we're getting married next spring," he announced with a broad grin and Brennan grinned right back at him.

"Wow," Sully said, as their food arrived, "I never thought I'd see the day that Temperance Brennan gets married."

"I didn't either," she admitted. "I still believe that I don't need a piece of paper to prove that I am committed to Booth, but society doesn't agree. Wives have many legal rights that girlfriends don't have. For example, if either of us was to get hurt, the doctors would release our information to the other without any argument. Logically it makes sense for us to get married at this point."

"You can't just say we're getting married 'cause we love each other, can you Bones?" Booth said, laughing.

"Everyone knows that I love you Booth, I don't need a ceremony to prove it." She responded and the way they looked at each other made Sully feel as though he was interrupting a private moment.

They continued to talk for awhile. Sully told Booth of his plans to return to the FBI and talked some more about his travels while the partners told him about some of their more interesting cases. Eventually, Allie began to fuss. "We should probably leave soon, she still needs a bath before bed." Brennan said to Booth as she lifted Allie out of the highchair and rubbed her back soothingly while Allie grabbed for her necklace and put it straight in her mouth.

Booth nodded and pulled out his wallet to pay their half of the tab. Brennan had eventually stopped arguing every time he wanted to pay for her food. "I'll bring the car around while you get her back in her coat." He kissed both of his girls' cheeks before shrugging into his own coat. "It's been nice catching up, Sull. Hopefully you'll be re-hired at the Bureau and we'll see each other more often." He shook Sully's hand once more and headed outside.

Brennan wrangled Allie into her coat and hat, much to her daughter's apparent displeasure. Brennan then picked her up and rocked her and it was only a second before she stopped crying. "Let hold her for a second while you put your coat on," Sully offered.

"Are you sure?" Brennan asked.

"Of course," he answered, and she handed him the squirming baby.

"Thanks," Brennan said as she put on her coat.

"She's beautiful," Sully said honestly as he looked at the baby, who was trying to grab his hair. "She has your eyes."

"Thank you, obviously I think that she is the prettiest baby ever, but I'm a bit biased." Brennan smiled as she took back her daughter.

"You look really happy, Tempe. I'm glad, you deserve it," he said sincerely.

"Thank you again. I hope that you can find happiness too," she replied, equally sincere. "Bye Sully," she said as she saw Booth pull up to the curb in front of the diner. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before walking out the door. As he watched her settling her daughter into the SUV he couldn't help but think that he had missed out on something great. Or maybe not. Maybe it was always going to come down to her and Booth. He had meant what he said though, she did deserve happiness.

He was startled out of his reverie as their waitress handed him his receipt with a wink. Her phone number was written at the bottom. Sully looked at her as she walked away. She was definitely attractive. Maybe being back in DC wouldn't be so bad after all, he thought as he left the restaurant with the receipt in his pocket.


	2. Author's Note

In case anyone's interested I've written a companion piece to this story. It's called the Ex in the Office.


End file.
